February 4, 2026 -- Joshua 24:14-15 -- Choose this day whom you will serve

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
Joshua 24:14-15 ESV
 
Choose this day whom you will serve. I know that is a line many people use for evangelism, but realize the context here, Joshua is speaking to people who are already believers. Joshua, a strong leader in Israel, once Moses’ right-hand man, is now preparing for his death. He is speaking to the people of Israel who have been rescued from Egypt by the powerful hand of the LORD. Defended from enemies, by the hand of the LORD. Protected in the wilderness from snakes and scorpions, by the hand of the LORD. In their forty years of wilderness wandering before entering the Promised Land, given mana to eat, and water to drink by the hand of the LORD. When the people complained, the LORD gave them meat, quail, this too was from the hand of the LORD. Now the people are in the Promised Land, this is from the hand of the LORD. They have rest from their enemies; this too is from the hand of the LORD.
 
Now Joshua is commanding them, reaffirm your vow to the LORD your God. Choose whom you will serve, because you are a people who spiritually wander. Who get restless looking for the next new thing. Who when facing temptation are ripe and ready to fall into it. You remember your sins, forgetting the vile consequences and the anger of the LORD, and wander off. Choose whom you will serve. You are the LORD’s. You belong to Him. He is your salvation. He is your rescue story. As the recipients of His grace and goodness, awash in His blessings, choose to persist in pushing against the inevitable influences of sin, so that you will stay true to God. They don’t. They sin. The theme of the next book, Judges, is “and every man did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25).
 
Dearly loved brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ, you have been rescued from the Egypt of your sins. You have been brought to salvation in Jesus Christ, where your past, present and future sins have been nailed to the cross and Jesus was punished in your place. You are therefore free to be sons and daughters of God. Be aware that the pressures of sins and the weight of temptation will rush against you like a flood.

• Your own, old sinful desires rise from within you. Crush them. Choose today to affirm your vows to serve the LORD. The world around you will entice you to wander from God. Rebellion and wickedness are disguised in so that you easily fall and it feels good, and you realize you are serving the gods of this age rather than the LORD Who rescued you, loves you and saves you.

• The gods of this age, evident in tremendous peer pressure to participate in sex, drugs, and rock and roll, fashion and human-centredness are as old as time. These ridiculously vile invitations are presented to you as new and dangerously thrilling. It is the same as it ever was. To turn away from God is death. Remember your vow, you chose to serve God, serve Him now.

• The Devil and his hordes from hell can’t punch God in the face, so, instead, the demonic forces attack the image-bearers of God. That is you. You are made in God’s image. You are created to glorify God as you are restored to true righteousness, true knowledge and true holiness. Ordinary, daily choices, pull you from the commitment to choose God and serve Him only. Sin leads you to be unclean, unable to do right and foolish. Choose to serve God. Remember your vows and walk in His way.

 
I can hear some of you say, “I can’t”. I am too far gone. Let me start by saying there is a twisted pride in that way of thinking. As if you are beyond the grip of God’s grace. It is warped way of justifying your desire to stay locked in your prison of sin, putting the key in the lock on the inside, your side of the prison door. God has declared, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” Romans 3:23-24 ESV. Do you really think your sins are new? Are too hard for God? Get over yourself. Humble yourself. Trust God. Go back to your commitment, as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
 
Our Father in heaven, forever blessed, thank You for the rich salvation You have granted us in Jesus Christ! Spirit of the Living God, reading this text today, I am first of all, ready to feel superior to “those people” who say ‘Yes’ to Jesus in the morning and are sinning like fiends in the afternoon…until the Spirit of God shows me my own propensity to bend this way and that by the slight breeze of temptation. Compassionate Father, forgive my sins by the reconciling blood of Jesus. By the Holy Spirit, strengthen me in my inner being, so that having already chosen to serve You, I will be renewed in holy zeal, and equipped to serve Jesus morning, noon and night. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/A3U0G7OiKJw?si=clVwH0EYkxSzOMM7 And Can It Be?
 

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January 30, 2026 -- Proverbs 30:5 -- Every word of God proves true

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Every word of God proves true;
he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
Proverbs 30:5 ESV
 
What is God like? He is truth. This is a challenging statement for humans. “Science” proves it is a catchphrase that is often employed to convince people. Yet science is often wrong. I well remember in my open-pod concept grades one to four classroom, when two men explained to all the students the great benefits of plastic bags. They said plastic would replace paper bags in stores. These bags would save the trees. Science is proving to be so helpful to the environment. Yeah, right (sarcasm here). Then it was global warming. Science proves it. Now it is climate change (as if the climate never changed in the past). These same ‘scientists’ will on the one hand speak of ice ages past and now in hushed, worried tones, speak of climate change.
 
How refreshing, how glorious, that every word of God proves true. What He has said, He will do. As you read the Old Testament, you can see the promises of God pile up. His promises to Abraham and Sarah. Proved true. His promises to deliver Israel from Egypt. Proved true. His judgments, should Israel sin and turn aside from the LORD, proved true.
 
Jesus, Who is the embodiment of so many of the Father’s promises in the Old Testament, declared, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6a). Jesus Himself is the evidence that every word of God proves true. Jesus, as He spoke, performed miracles, suffered, died, and rose from the dead, at every step proved the words of God true. As He did all what He did on earth, He proved He is fully human and fully God. He is completely reliable.
 
I love how God’s truthfulness is linked to the fact that He is a shield for His people. When the lies of this world are aimed at you, pummeling against you again and again, the truth of God is your shield. His Spirit, living in you, proves the word of God true and exposes the lies of this world. In fact, when His words prove true in your life, and expose the inconsistencies in your own life and the intermittent obedience you’ve offered Him, His Spirit is a shield against the lies of the Devil. The Devil would whisper to you, “You’ve been so faithless, so often, how could God love you?” The word of God proves true: He Who loved you, will love you to the end!
 
When you are filled with doubts, hold-out the promises of God. Every word of God proves true. He Who loved you from before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4-5); He demonstrated His on-going love through the reconciling blood of Jesus Christ (Romans 5:8); and He proves His love by giving to you the Holy Spirit Who is the deposit guaranteeing your eternal inheritance (Ephesians 1:13-14). The more you read, the more you realize every word of God proves true.
 
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. May our lives and our witness to the truth of Your word bring glory to Your Name and draw in many sons and daughters to glory. Thank You for the Holy Spirit, Who binds us close so that we will overcome our waywardness, our apprehensions, and our defiant inclinations to believe the lies of this world. What immeasurable greatness of power You work in us who believe which transforms us from death to life, which removes doubt and replaces it with confident hope, which removes our spiritual blindness and gives to our eyes the light of life. Amen.
Prayer based on Ephesians 1:3,18-20
 
https://youtu.be/8q3jmXn6HTQ?si=q6Q6jso1UMKK-ss4 Love Divine, All Love Excelling
 

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January 29, 2026 -- Romans 11:33 -- What is God like? He is inscrutable in all His ways. Read on

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
Romans 11:33 ESV
 
What is God like? Various preachers and teachers have noted the depths of the emotion conveyed by that simple interjection “oh”! Imagine the joy of a car enthusiast, who casually, minding his own business, walking down the road unexpectedly, sees right there in front of him, parked on the side of the road, a mint-condition Ferrari 250 GTO. He will gasp. He will gulp. He will explain to you there are only like 30 or so ever produced. They were manufactured in the early 1960’s. He will be bursting with information. He might whistle. Words will fail him as he encounters this gem, which he’s seen so many pictures of and imagined one day actually seeing it. He knew it’d be so unlikely to actually see one.
 
What is God like? He is infinitely more valuable than the rarest treasure you’ve been seeking all your life. He is more worthy than any other pursuit your heart might undertake. He is breath-takingly wise and soul-drawingly knowledgeable. What blessedness will fill eternity, where Christians who have served Jesus through-out their earthly life will there, free from the mind-encumbrances of sin so that in possession of all their faculties, will be able to contemplate the wisdom of God, His expansive knowledge, and His judgments and decrees and see how holy He is. How good He is. How right and true all His decisions are.
 
Why is it that Christians do not evangelize with zeal? Because they do not spend nearly enough time contemplating the glories of God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Most Christians don’t speak to everyone they meet and gush to everyone at every opportunity about God because all too many have been tamed in their thoughts and bored in their encounters with Him Who fills the universe. Sermons are dull. Bible reading is rushed. Prayers are lifeless exercises. Those who are completing a time of bible reading and prayer are doing a duty. Imagine instead, pausing and worshiping Him Who is wisdom. Surprised by what you read, then breaking out in words blessing Him Who is just in every single thing He does. Can you picture longing just to know a bit more about Him Who is so far beyond all knowledge and understanding? Every tidbit which is added to your understanding enriches your knowledge of Him Who is so perfect, so holy, so good, so true, so exquisite.
 
Think of it—God stoops to our weakness. He makes Himself known. It is such kindness and love He demonstrates to us. We are, even the most brilliant among us, mere kindergarteners in our understanding of anything. How much there is to know, to learn, to discover, and having learned it, to ascribe to God the honour due to Him. If we’d spend a fraction of our time really taking hold of Who He Is, Who He reveals Himself to be, we’d join with Paul in crying out: “Oh. (insert a whistle of wonder and joy) the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!”
 
Forgive us, glorious Father, for the rushed practice of our devotions and the hollowness of the prayers we offer. Spirit of the Living God, teach us to pause in our days, to stem the tide of the busy things we do, so that the eyes of faith can rest on Jesus. Jesus, Who is the radiance of the Father’s glory. Teach us, Spirit of God, to fight the pervasive, soul-dumbing effects of our sin, so that we will fight to take hold of the glories of God. As the eyes of faith behold You, let our faith exclaim You, bless You, and declare Your majesty to all and any who would hear. Amen.
https://youtu.be/o-ImfnUqWxg?si=COATfDDa_pCLdFIH All Praise to Him
 

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January 28, 2026 -- Psalm 18:1-3 -- God is my rock

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus

I love you, O LORD, my strength.
2 The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
    my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
    my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised,
    and I am saved from my enemies.
Psalm 18:1-3 ESV
 
What is God like? David describes God as ‘my rock”. Twice in fact. Think how many people say of their partner “she’s my rock” only later to discover she cheated on him. The rock becomes a slope of slippery shale and pebbles. Or, he who has been steadfast, ages, gets sick and dies. Suddenly his spouse has lost her rock. People aren’t designed to be the rock and strength of others.
 
David experienced this firsthand. He’d led out King Saul’s armies. He was the celebrated war hero. King Saul turned on him. The army David had formerly led, now hunted him down. Should the king command it, any soldier would have killed him. The very people who had earlier sung his praises as their deliverer.
 
God is the rock of His people because he is from eternity to eternity. He is faithful. He is true. He is not fickle. God is the rock of His people, smashing down the faithless who attack His own. God is the rock of salvation in Whom I take refuge. He is an impregnable fortress protecting His loved ones.
 
No wonder Paul would write, “for me to live is Christ, to die is gain” Philippians 1:21. No matter how great the storms of life, nor the vastness of the army arrayed against the believer, or the hardship of following Jesus, Jesus is the victor. Anchored on Him the believer has all he needs for life which begins here and stretches out into eternity.
 
No doubt some of you might be wondering, if Jesus really is this strong rock, why am I suffering? Life is good. Life is hard. Life is complicated. Life is infected with sin in every part. People suffer because of their own sins. People suffer because others sin against them. People suffer because the hosts of hell are constantly mounting attacks against them. Doesn’t matter. Jesus is the rock of my salvation. He is the rock of your salvation. In Him the purposes of God for your life will be fulfilled. Living for Jesus, as the Spirit continually empowers you to do so, means your life is permeated with the glory of God. The people around you are right now, looking at you, to see how you live for Jesus in every circumstance of your life. As He is the rock of your life, others, who are storm-tossed and wretched, will approach you, seeking to know the hope you have. They are, in fact, seeking to know Jesus.
 
God our Father, thank You for the rock of our salvation, Jesus Christ. Spirit of God, when my handhold on Jesus is tenuous, or I feel my feet slipping, guard me safe in Jesus. Thank You, Father, for the people You put into my life whose testimony led me to know and love Jesus. Motivate me, Spirit of God, to live out loud for Jesus, so that others will be drawn to God, the rock of salvation. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/gM7gt_cSxjw?si=oa5p5tgtMhX4onWZ Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me
 

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January 27, 2026 -- Psalm 18:1-3 -- What is God like? He is your strength

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

I love you, O LORD, my strength.
The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation,
my stronghold.
I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies.
Psalm 18:1-3 ESV
 
What is God like? David, while he was fleeing from the king who wanted to kill him, was delivered by the gracious hand of the LORD. In praise, David declared the LORD is His strength. Anyone who has engaged in verbal sparring with someone, or has a long-standing argument, knows how draining that is. Such engagements sap one’s strength. For David, it was a mental, spiritual, physical and a leadership battle. It was a battle for godly leadership as the men under his command looked to him. What he did before he became king, and the integrity he displayed (or didn’t have) would be remembered by those men. He acted with integrity. Though he was exhausted and spent.
 
What a beautiful declaration, once he’d been delivered by the LORD, to affirm it is the LORD Who was, is, and ever will be David’s strength. What is God like? He is the One Who revives the energy of the weak. He is the One Who inspires hope in the one whose hope is seeping away. He is the LORD Who works in and through life’s circumstances so that His people learn all hope is in Him alone.
 
Why isn’t the Christian life easier? If my life is anything to go by, I realized that periods of relative ease and comfort can easily become times when I begin to drift from complete reliance on God as my strength. Because things are going well, I can easily fool myself and think I’ve accomplished something, when in fact, a quick look in the rearview mirror of my life would clearly show me it was God. He alone has always been my strength.

We need the strength of our triune God to face temptation and then in Him to gain victory over it. We need the strength of our Father to be sustained in our Christian life. We need the strength of Jesus, Who is ever praying for us. We need the strength of the Holy Spirit, Who lives in us, so that we lift our eyes from our circumstances, inability, and weakness, and look to Jesus, in Whom in all our joy and strength.
 
O God our Father, we bless You, the strength of Your people. The bible clearly proves You are the strength of Your people. Our own lives declare Your power is matched to our helplessness so that in You alone we can rise above our circumstances. Forgive us for the times we sinfully ascribed to ourselves strength and wisdom and power, when in fact, all our help has always been found in You, and in You alone.
I love You, O LORD, my strength! Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/TxC16duiHvQ?si=vw3E1cE6sdz7eJr_ O Lord, My Rock and My Redeemer
 

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January 20, 2026 -- Proverbs 20:12 -- What is God like?

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

The hearing ear and the seeing eye,
the LORD has made them both.  Proverbs 20:12 ESV
 
What is God like? He Who formed you in your mother’s womb, is the very gracious Savior Who has given you ears to hear the Gospel and eyes to see His goodness. Unless the LORD opens your ears, everything you hear about God and the truth of Scripture will seem to you like nonsense. Have you heard of ‘bias confirmation’? It is the tendency to pick out ideas, facts and other points of view which support what you already believe. Original sin, that is the sin nature that every person is born with, gives every person a bias against the things of God. The sin nature in a man or a woman will rise to discount or argue against the word of God. It requires the work of the Holy Spirit to completely change a person so that the bias confirmation of wilfulness against God and His goodness is overcome in a person.
 
Romans 10:17 teaches that faith comes by hearing the Word of God. It is critical for the people of God to share with the people around them their thankfulness for the saving work of Jesus. Such testimonies are used by the Holy Spirit to break the power of sin and the attendant bias confirmation against the Living God. The LORD in His great mercy, and steadfast love, works through your verbal testimony to bring others to Himself.
 
The Christian who lives for God in daily life gives off many non-verbal cues that his life is dedicated to the glory of God. This too witnesses to the mercy, kindness and love of God. People, by the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit, will see that you are utterly different from the people around you. You are God’s. You live for God in your public life and in your private life. That is compelling.
 
What is God like? He takes ordinary, sin-biased persons, and transforms them through His Word. He reconciles people to Himself by the cleansing blood of Jesus. He approaches others through your witness and testimony. Even your weaknesses, stumbling back into old patterns of sin, are used by God the Compassionate. Every time you confess your sin, proving your humility and your gratitude to the LORD of heaven and earth, Who rescued you and will complete His work of salvation in you, others see something wonderful. Those who know you well can see it is not the Christian who is amazing, but it is God the all-glorious Who is bringing new life into sinners who could not save themselves. They will see the persistent goodness of God which will not stop until you are perfected in in the image of God.
 
When I am afraid of evils to come, comfort me,
by showing me
that in myself I am a dying condemned wretch,
but that in Christ I am reconciled, made alive and satisfied;
that I am feeble and unable to do any good,
but that in him I can do all things;
that what I now have in Christ is mind in part,
but shortly I shall have it perfectly in heaven. Amen.
Excerpt from: “Humiliation” Valley of Vision: Puritan Prayers and Devotions
 
https://youtu.be/7n145-J8ejg?si=cb1IXocUrRfUp123 Amazing Grace
 

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January 19, 2026 -- Romans 5:8 -- What is God like? He shows His love

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

…but God show his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8 ESV
 
What is God like? He is fully aware of your great need for salvation. He Who is omniscient, that is, He knows everything past, present, and future. Nothing you say or do can add to His knowledge. The God of all knowledge is never surprised by an event, a sin, nor a victory. Why is that important to know about God?

• He knows your failure and He sent Christ to save you.

• He knows when you’re backsliding into former sins. He has given the Spirit to lift you from it.

• He Who started this saving work in you will perfect it in you.

• He knows you are inclined to run, to sin, and He is rebuilding you from the inside out so that you will be His, wholly His and holy His.

• He has set you in community with fellow believers so that you can fight your sin and its temptations.

• He has placed in you the fear of the LORD—it is the fear of the LORD that drives out your fear of men so that you can serve God and Him alone.

• He loves you. It is the before-the-foundation-of-the-world decree of God to save you through Jesus Christ. The Father has set His love upon you. He Who has made this decision, has the power to make it happen and the tenderness to walk in relationship with you when things are disastrous and when things are going well.

 
Father in heaven, it is a great truth of the Bible that You love Your children. You love them, knowing the worst about them. You love them, redeeming them to yourself in Christ. You love them bringing the power of Your Spirit into the life of every believer so that sin is defeated, lusts are conquered, and new life takes hold. You love Your people transforming them so that the old nature is put to death and in Christ the new nature rises, matures, and brings to You the glory due Your Name. Spirit of the Living God, through the reconciling work of Jesus, assist me to root out every wayward impulse and wicked desire. Spirit of the Living God teach me to love the Bible so that through its instruction I may know, and therefore ever more fully love, the Father in heaven. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/FSHe-kibZDg?si=yl-9S0rbWSAXVJnM Teach Me Thy Way, O Lord
 

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January 18, 2026 -- Psalm 145:21 -- What is God like? He Is Holy.

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD,
and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
Psalm 145:21 ESV
 
What is God like? He is holy. That is another attribute that is difficult for most people to really grab hold of and understand. The holiness of the LORD means that He is so pure, so perfect, so good in all His ways that He is beyond our comprehension. To be holy means that He is set apart. He is in a category all by Himself. His actions are all together just and good and true and perfect and glorious.
 
Louis Berkhof noted that the holiness of God is positional, that is He is absolutely distinct from His creatures. There is no comparison. When the angels of God, who stand in His holy presence, reveal themselves to men, terrify those men because those angels have some of the reflected majestic holiness of God about them.
 
If the LORD had not chosen to reveal Himself in His Word, human minds could not comprehend Him. People are so used to the filth, the rottenness and the darkness of sin that the incredible glorious light of His holiness terrifies.
 
If the LORD had not chosen to break down every stubborn resistance and throw down all sins and reconcile men to Himself through the precious blood of Jesus, merely standing in His presence would cause any man, like Isaiah in his vision of Isaiah 6, to cry out: “I am doomed! I am disintegrating!” It is the infinite weight of His holiness, His perfections, His majesty that would crush a sinful person.
 
Note that is it not until the very end of Psalm 145, which has been replete with the attributes of God, that the final, almost summary attribute of God is named: holiness. It is almost as if all the other characteristics, attributes and explanations of what He is like must first be digested so that by informed faith one can touch the outermost edges of beginning to comprehend His holiness.
 
I will extol You, my God and King and bless your name forever and ever!
O Living, loving God, Who alone lives in unapproachable light, thank You for drawing us to Yourself through the glorious work of Jesus Christ. Thank You for the work of Your Holy Spirit Who applies the reconciling work of Jesus into every part of our lives so that we are suited to meet with You in prayer, worship, and adoration. As Your people gather in the North and the South, the East and the West, let our minds and souls, and our voices blend together with theirs in praising You and all flesh join to bless Your Holy Name forever. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/zzM9P_Gqw-s?si=draSj6UGDcwClkwW Holy, Holy, Holy
 

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January 16, 2026 -- Psalm 145:17 -- What is God like? He is kind

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

The LORD is righteous in all his ways
and kind in all his works.
Psalm 145:17 ESV
 
What is God like? Obviously this psalm is packed to overflowing with answers which instruct the careful reader. Today the focus is on the kindness of your God and King. Many people misunderstand that word “kindness”. Thinking kindness is so shapeless and bland. In Romans 2:4 you read: “that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance”. Though He has all power with the right to command obedience coupled with the power to destroy people who are rebellious, wayward, self-centred and toying with sin, He does not.

• His kindness is revealed in the fact that Jesus Christ became fully human so that man to man you can have fellowship with God.

• His kindness is revealed in the fact that the Spirit of God binds you to the Father, like those toddlers you see at the Mall whose wrist has a band with a cord that is linked to the wrist of mom. You can go so far, but no farther. It is kind protection.

• His kindness is revealed in the fact that He does not treat you as your sins deserve (Psalm 103:10-14); instead, your grotesque and vile sins are punished on the Person of Jesus and instead of punishment you are given the righteousness of Christ. Because of His suffering, you are eligible to receive the love and kindness of God.

• His kindness is revealed in the fact any man or woman who is a new creation in Jesus Christ is given the fruit of the Spirit, kindness (Galatians 5:22). This attribute of God is implanted deep into the soul and character of the believer so that you become a credible witness to the kindness of God. Your demeanor changes so that others are drawn to the work of God which is so evident in your life.

• The kindness of Jesus was further, powerfully, demonstrated at the cross, where John the beloved disciple was standing there and Jesus’ mother was there, without any of her other children or relatives and Jesus said, “Woman, behold your son!” To John he said “Behold, your mother” (John 19:26-27). Though crucifixion puts such pressure on the lungs that speaking is difficult, and Jesus’ agony is unspeakable, as a faithful Son, Jesus acts with kindness toward His mother, ensuring she’d be cared for. As the eldest son in that society it was His duty to care for her (though earlier in His ministry, thinking He was acting crazy she wanted to take Him home—Mark 3:21, 31-35).

• The kindness of God is revealed in His persistence and patience in extending His love toward you, though you have often refused Him. He will win you to Himself. Or, that lifetime of kindness extended toward you and refused, will testify against you at the judgment seat.

 
I will extol You, my God and King,
and bless Your Name forever.
Every day I will bless You
and praise Your Name forever and ever.1
Thank You, faithful Father, for Your kindness which always, tenderly, invites me to turn from my waywardness and find in You grace and mercy to help me every hour of every day. Amen.
1Psalm 145:1,2
 
https://youtu.be/21A7GLtGgDs?si=3u9suqiOB88HcOdg I Will Wait for You
 

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January 14, 2026 -- Psalm 145:18-19 -- What is God like? He is near

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

The LORD is near to all who call on him
to all who call on him in truth.
He fulfils the desire of those who fear him;
he also hears their cry and saves them.
Psalm 145:18-19 ESV
 
One of the most dramatic letters I’ve ever received came to me from a man I’ll call “Don”. We’d met at a drug and alcohol recovery centre. He was rather proud, hard, and flippant about the ministry I was engaged in. One week I showed up as usual to teach and I was told Don had been picked up by police. A few weeks later, unexpectedly, I saw him in prison. He was alone in a soundproof room with windows; a room used for inmates to receive calls for their court proceedings. He was alone. Anxious. Broken. He saw me and we both recognized each other instantly. He was so happy to see a familiar face in such a hard place that instinctively he put up his hand to the window, and I raised mine to equal height and pressed it to the glass as well. The guard moved me along as there was a class I needed to teach. I lost track of him after that.
 
Then, out of the blue, many months later, I receive a letter. Don wrote to say he was in the SHU (Special Holding Unit, segregation). He was so broken. So lonely. So isolated. He contemplated calling out to the devil; instead, an urgent prompt made him call out to Jesus instead. The time at the recovery centre had introduced him to Jesus. The exposure to believers had given to him an unexpected life-line available to him at his darkest hour. He grabbed it. God did exactly what He promised, He was near to Don and begin the process of healing his soul. Then through the imprisonment, and two and a half years thereafter, worked in and through his circumstances; Don is now free from addiction, walking in obedience to Jesus, and his life is a testimony to the truth that God does not ignore those who call out to Him. To be sure he still has challenges, having been in prison and finding work afterwards, well that is very hard. He is grateful for all God has done and is doing.
 
Your life and your burdens are your own. Whatever they are, be assured that the LORD will hear you when you cry out. Don’s story is his own. Your life and your struggles are your own and are uniquely designed so that you will cry out to the One Who has already designed your rescue in Jesus Christ and has the Spirit at the ready to bring into your life the fullness of hope and life and healing that is available through Jesus.
 
Lord Jesus, thank You for the help You have given to Don. Continue Your healing work in every area of his life so that through his testimony many others will come to Jesus.
Kind Father, hear us when we call to You. Sometimes it seems the rescue is for others, but not for me. Do as You promise here in this psalm, hear, answer, and save. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/p70l3YCVmrY?si=ilf7jXNWAWxMnF-X Hear My Prayer
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

January 13, 2026 -- Psalm 145:15-16 -- God provides

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food in due season.
You open your hand;
you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
Psalm 145:15-16 ESV
 
What is God like you may ask—the psalm-writer David continues to fill out the wonderful picture of Who He Is. Today we focus on that fact that He satisfies the desire of every living thing. He provides for all His creatures. Think of the prayer Jesus taught His disciples, the Lord’s Prayer, which has the line “Give us this day our daily bread”. It seems strange. We have (most of us) plenty of food in our cupboards; we have money in the bank and yet Jesus taught His faithful followers to petition God in this way. Psalm 145, along with many other texts, is the Old Testament background Jesus knew when He taught “give us this day our daily bread.’
 
How is it that God “opens His hand”, that is, provides for you?

• The work you have, and the ability to do it is given to you from the hand of God.

• The timing of abundance in your life, or of lean times is evidence of God giving this to you in “due season”. His timing is meant to teach you to look to Him.

• Where do you live? Is it prison or a palace, a recovery centre or a three-bedroom home? The Bible teaches none of that is accidental. The LORD both opens and closes His hand. Interesting isn’t it, how need can drive a person to pray? God is bringing you to the point of prayer, so you realize your dependence on Him in every area of your life.

 
What a glorious truth is contained in the next line “You satisfy the desire of every living thing”. Sin is never satisfied. Our wicked desires are a constant craving. The proverbs speak of fire that never says enough, or a drought-stricken land that cries for water after a brief shower which isn’t nearly enough. Many readers who struggle with addiction know their bodies, ravished as they are by the poison of the addiction, never willingly say “enough”.
 
What is it to be satiated in God? He is the Good, true Father our souls long for. He is patient. He is infinite in majesty, glory, holiness, love, justice so that knowing Him is a life-long adventure. He is the rewarder of those who seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). You were made for Him, to know Him, submit to Him, be loved by Him and love Him in return. In Christ Jesus your sins, which blocked your knowledge of God, your attitude towards Him and dominated your will, are all forgiven. God reconciled you to Himself through Jesus so that all who believe in Jesus are set free from slavery to sin and addiction. The Spirit of God then retrains your desires so that living to bring glory to God the Father and doing this based on the finished work of Jesus is the mission worthy of all your strength for your whole life.
 
Faithful Father, thank You for the persistent love You have shown Your people through-out history, and the greatest evidence of it ever, which is demonstrated in Jesus. By Your Holy Spirit tear out of me all false concepts I have of You, and all those blinding sins which would have me falter in my allegiance to You. As Your Word teaches me Who You really are, let me meditate on You, delight in You, learn even more so that a Holy Spirit zeal sweeps through me and being utterly content in You, I am fueled to serve You heart, hand and soul. Amen.
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

January 12, 2026 -- Psalm 145:2,14 -- What is God like? He lifts up the weary

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Every day I will bless you
and praise your name forever and ever.
The LORD upholds all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
Psalm 145:2,14 ESV
 
We’ve embarked on a journey of learning what God is like. Why does it matter what He is like? The Promise-Making, Promise-Keeping LORD of the Bible is more than just a concept. He is not just a philosophical proposition, nor is He just an intellectual oddity. He is personal. He is near. He is good. The more you know Him, the more you rely on Him. The more you understand the more you realize He is powerful and His lovingkindness is pledged towards rescuing His people.
 
I don’t know about you, but my own heart and mind often push against me—I have desires and cravings and secret motives which prove to me I am not fully weaned from sin. It is easy to begin to wonder, “can God really love me?”  Or to think, “I have confessed this same sin too many times to count, how is it that He hasn’t said, ‘That’s it! I’m tired of that sinful, wayward man’?” To meditate on God means I am spending time thinking about what He is like. He is so utterly different than any person I’ve ever met; He is in a category on His own. I need to read and hold onto what the Bible teaches. As I do so, I am encouraged to turn to Him. I know I will be cleansed in the deepest areas of my soul. I will be strengthened to turn from sin. I will be embraced by Him Who never tires or gets bored of saving His people.
 
Notice it is the LORD, His Name is all in capitals, which points to His power, His ability to strengthen, and His covenant-commitment to do so; it is He Who upholds all who are falling. Perhaps you are falling into despair? Maybe it is temptation? Maybe it is letting yourself go back into familiar sins? Maybe it is fear of your circumstances which are truly dire? Maybe you are overwhelmed and so tired?  Where is your help?
 
Look again at the verse. There is a parallel of intensification—the second phrase is very similar to the first and by repetition it is teaching the reader something to the effect of, you can truly count on this. He raises up all who are bowed down. Put together you have a sense that the Great LORD of the Universe is aware of my life and circumstances. For me there is a mental image of having fallen in the battlefield of life, God has Himself gone into the thick of battle, picked me up, and is half-carrying, guiding me with my broken, halting steps, to the place of safety.
 
What is the battlefield you find yourself in today? What is the pain? What is the wound? What is the need? What is the enemy shooting at you whose arrows are finding their mark so that you wonder if you can go another step? Today’s text, adding to the previously declared facts that God is gracious, merciful, steadfast in love, good to all He has made, David added my God and King will lift me from the mud of my broken circumstances and bring me to the place of healing.
In Christ, all your sins are forgiven. Confess them confident of this truth.
In the Spirit, you are strengthened in the core of who you are so that God’s help is effective. Call out to Him.
In community with other Christians, you have prayer warriors who pray when you can’t. Reach out.
 
Prayer
There is no treasure so wonderful as that continuous experience of Your grace toward me which alone can subdue the risings of sin within: Give me more of it.1
Every day I will bless Your Name and praise Your Name forever and ever2. Amen.
 
1 From Valley of Vision. Last two lines of the prayer “The Dark Guest”
2 Psalm 145:2
 
https://youtu.be/jbmoHpe-Yqg?si=nGezH5b2Ld0U2d90 The Lord’s Prayer
 

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January 10, 2026 --Psalm 145:10-13 -- What is God like? His glorious kingdom displays His greater glory

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD,
and all your saints shall bless you!
They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom
and tell of your power,
to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds,
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures throughout all generations.
Psalm 145:10-13 ESV
 
What is the LORD like? He is the ruler of a glorious kingdom. Based on the original language the word glory carries with it a sense of weightiness. The glorious kingdom impresses the observer. Way back when there used to be a show called, “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” (1984-1995). The host of the show would go to the homes of athletes, movies stars, and the super-rich, touring their properties and showcasing their possessions. The not-so-subtle point is that such people are great because they have great possessions. As a matter of fact, many of the people highlighted were haughty and cruel. There’s a fitting proverb, if you see a turtle on a fence post you know it didn’t get there by itself because it doesn’t belong there. So too with many of those who were featured on that show, they didn’t get there by themselves nor did they know what to do with all the possessions and wealth they had.
 
The kingdom of the LORD is glorious because His goodness and His kindness are beautifully displayed in every part, “the heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1).
 
The kingdom of the LORD is glorious because within His kingdom the people across this vast globe receive His sunshine and rain (Matthew 5:45).
 
The kingdom of the LORD is glorious because it is purposeful. Events don’t just arbitrarily happen or spin out of control. All events and all people are in the right place at the right time so that they will know His patience, His faithfulness, His care and His provision. “In your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them” (Psalm 139:16).
 
The kingdom of the LORD is glorious in contrast to the kingdom of this world and the temporary rule of the evil one. Everything the devil touches, promises, and gives leads to death (see James 1:14-15).
 
The kingdom of the LORD is glorious because He Who rules it is even greater in glory, in splendour, in majesty, in graciousness. Every examination of the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ leads the believer, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to bless God the Triune.
 
Oh God, my God and King, the heavens declare Your glory,
and the sky above proclaims Your handiwork.
The laws which govern Your Kingdom reflect Your faithfulness, goodness and love.
Your will and Your ways, LORD Jesus, are more desirable than gold,
and are sweeter than the drippings of the honeycomb.
Spirit of God, as You lead us in the paths of righteousness, we are both warned against errors and sins that destroy, and we find keeping to the paths of righteousness lead us to Jesus, Who is the soul’s treasure and reward. You, O LORD my God, Whose kingdom is glorious, are infinitely greater and more glorious and the more we meditate on You and on Your works, the greater is the weight of glory that is impressed on us and that results in our greater desire to worship You and declare Your glory to all. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/4oGuGzCFEWI?si=8FQvzhYnE3WlxKFL Immortal, Invisible, God only Wise
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

January 9, 2026 -- Psalm 145:9-12 -- What is God like? He is merciful

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

The Lord is good to all,
    and his mercy is over all that he has made.
10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
    and all your saints shall bless you!
11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom
    and tell of your power,
12 to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds,
    and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Psalm 145:9-12 ESV
 
What is my God and King like? How would you describe Him if someone asked you? King David answers another way to describe Him is to proclaim His mercy. David declared it twice in two verses (v. 8 and here in our text v. 9). First mercy is used as an adjective, then it is a noun of intensification, His mercy. The word mercy means your God is compassionate to you, patient and kind beyond your deserving.
 
At verse 14 David declares the LORD upholds all who are falling, he is describing mercy in action. That word of falling carries in it the sense of one who has tasted God’s preserving kindness and yet falls back into sin, backsliding away from Him. How is He merciful then? He restrains you from tumbling beyond the grip of His grace. He raises up people to call out your sin so you can repent. The Spirit stirs up the prick of compunction, so you know you are going off the path of righteousness. David’s own life clearly demonstrated how often God restrained David from greater acts of sinfulness. What a contrast to the way in which God deals with those who are hardened in their rebellion. The wicked will be destroyed by their own rebellion, and backsliding into sin.
 
How is the compassion of Your King demonstrated to you? He is near to all who call on Him (145:18). He never tunes you out. He is never too busy to hear you. He is never playing favorites. Now, the answer He gives you may well be unexpected. However, He is the Perfect One Who sees the end from the beginning, so whatever He gives is exactly right so that you can grow in holiness.
 
Consider these beautiful words, “God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance” (Romans 2:4b). We live in a world that adds up all your wrong-doing and holds it against you. There is a sense of three strikes, you’re out. Imagine if God, Who is merciful, were to limit His mercy in that way? Who could possibly stand? It is so reassuring that Jesus taught you should forgive your brother not merely three times, nor the more generous seven times, but the bountiful seventy times seven times (Matthew 18:22ESV). What extravagant mercy that leads the wicked to continually test His patience but not so with the godly. In view of His continuing mercy the godly to bow in wonder before Him and exclaim, Who is like You, O God?!
 
Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity
and passing over transgression
for the remnant of His inheritance?
He does not retain His anger forever,
because He delights in steadfast love.
He will again have compassion on us;
He will tread our iniquities underfoot.
You will cast all our sins
into the depths of the sea.
You will show faithfulness to Jacob
and steadfast love to Abraham,
as You have sworn to our fathers
from the days of old.
Micah 7:18-20 ESV
 
(The reference to Abraham also points out that through his great-descendant son, Jesus, God the Father has shown the full extent of His mercy; the reference to Jacob is a reminder that God the Merciful One, deals with liars and deceivers, overcoming their sinful nature with the glory of His compassionate mercy.)
 
https://youtu.be/KLTu1xv2-Us?si=DHQoNGtZu0VDkyuv Oh, the Deep Love of Jesus
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

January 8, 2026 -- Psalm 145:9-10 -- What is God like? He is good.

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

The LORD is good to all,
and his mercy is over all that he has made.
All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
and all your saints shall bless you!
Psalm 145:9-10 ESV
 
Good. It is such a simple adjective. What does the Bible really mean by it? In an age of hyperbole and exaggeration, good hardly seems to be “good enough". What is the psalm writer getting at when he calls the LORD good?
 

1. The LORD is the source of all good. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights” James 1:17. The human heart is inclined toward all evil. The human heart is so misaligned to what is good that people often mock whatever is good. By glorious contrast, the Father is the source of all good. Believers rejoice in Him and give thanks to Him.

2. The LORD is the standard of good. “If then you who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:11). How challenging it is for parents to give good gifts to their children. Good discipline. Good presents. Good time and attention. Good preparation for work life. Just the weight of it all can be crushing. Your Father in heaven is the standard of all that is good. The moment a man or woman says, “I am good” (morally, or ethically, or politically or in any other sphere of life) others can spot the faults, the wrong-headed motives and even the background, budding evil intentions. Only God the Father is the standard of all that is good and His goodness reaches all.

3. The LORD is impartial in His goodness. “For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:45). Be honest. Admit how hard it is to sustain a level of goodness, kindness, love and generosity even to those you love the most. Basic selfishness interferes with the impulse to be good to those closest to you, let alone being good to all. Only the Father in heaven is good to all that he has made. This fact means all unbelievers will be without excuse at the judgment seat of God when Jesus returns. Every evidence of His past goodness will be plainly displayed. 

 
Just this simple summary gives ample reason to praise God and thank Him as your Father. No wonder the saints of God bless Him. While His children reflect on His goodness they can't help but thank Him, praise Him, sing to Him and declare His goodness to others.
 
O LORD, my God and King, You are good to all! With the saints of every generation, and those who acknowledge Your goodness in this generation, we give thanks to You. Forgive us for our long stretches of thanklessness, our envy of the good gifts You give to others, and our grudging unwillingness to celebrate Your goodness in the lives of those who we think are unworthy of Your goodness. Faithful Father, by Your Spirit renew in us a profound awareness of the goodness You have shown us in Jesus Christ and lead us in joy-filled submission to Him as we gratefully receive all You still have in store for us. Amen.

https://youtu.be/CqybaIesbuA?si=a8fA-sDDkRhFjop7 Good Good Father

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

January 6, 2026 -- Psalm 145:2,8 -- What is God like? His steadfast love.

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Every day I will bless you
and praise your name forever.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
Psalm 145:2,8 ESV
 
What is God like? Some people figure if He exists at all, He is angry all the time. Or He is somewhere far away, completely unaware of His creation, or His hapless creatures. The writer of this psalm is piling up descriptions of Who God Is, that are rich, reassuring, and beautiful. At Christmas time, many of you sang carols that included the Name of Jesus Immanuel. That name means God with us.
 
How can you be sure the God really is near, with you?

• First, it is the promise of the Bible. The only, utterly trustworthy book ever written.

• Second, consider the fact that He is abounding in steadfast love. You’ve had friends who end conversations with the tagline, I love you…but then you don’t hear from them. There’s no evidence of their love anywhere to be seen. By way of contrast, the verses 14 - 20 declare the glorious acts of God by which He proves He is loving toward all He has made. (Go ahead, read them. I’ll wait.)

• Third, the greatest demonstration of God’s steadfast love, is Jesus Christ. Jesus is God come down to earth. He knows how hard it is to be human and never sinned. He experienced all the temptations and pains of humanity but never sinned. That is why His death is the one, final sacrifice that takes away sin. All who believe on Him are forgiven their sins and experience God’s grace and mercy and patience.

• Finally, listen to Christian friends who experience such lovingkindness from God.

 
If this is not your experience of God, find a Christian whose walk with God you admire and ask questions. Really dig into what this all means. The most basic questions of life are:

1. How did I get here?

2. Why am I here?

3. How can I tell right from wrong?

4. What happens when I die?

When you ask, what is God like, you are exploring the answer to those four most basic life questions. When you go to Him, Who made you and loves you, with all your questions, you’ll find the answers to be glorious. No wonder that, at the start of this psalm, David blesses the LORD, Who made him and gave purpose to his life.
 
Mighty God of Heaven and Earth, my mouth will speak the praise of Your Name,
and with new-found joy in knowing You more fully, I call on all people to join with me in blessing His holy name forever and ever. Amen.
(Based on Psalm 145:21)
 
https://youtu.be/UQVm06EhJnI?si=vdBhSm1bsPIQjvWn My heart is filled with thankfulness
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

January 5, 2026 -- Psalm 145:3,8 -- God is slow to anger. Why is that important?

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
Psalm 145:3,8 ESV
 
As we continue the series “What God is like” we focus on one attribute He Himself has revealed. The LORD, Who formed us, has the right to dictate how we live, what is good and what is evil, commands His to live in complete dedication to Him alone. Every time you hear that in Scripture, you are reminded that the Lord our God has first delivered His people from the grip of sin, the power of the Devil and has then brought that person safely into the fold of Jesus. Only then does He command how His people must live. Let’s face it, obedience is very difficult.
 
Even so, David inspired by the Holy Spirit, declared my God and King is slow to anger. Think of how often you fail. It is only day 5 of the New Year and I have no doubt many of you have already broken most of your New Year’s resolutions…if you even made any. You’re likely frustrated with yourself. If you have such trouble keeping the one or two resolutions you’ve made, no wonder you neglect to look at the full law of God, turning away because you know you’ve broken so many of them.
 
God is slow to anger. He is patient with His people. He knows the sins that once dominated you, which must be purged. The habits of corruption must be replaced with holiness. That is the work of His Spirit living within you.

• First sinful patterns and behaviors must be identified. The more we read the word, listen to sermons, spend time with fellow Christians, the more we’ll realize how much needs to change in us.

• Then, those sins need to be confessed, repented of. Repentance means turning away from the sin and turning to God in renewed obedience to Him.

• Third, we recognize sinful patterns are ingrained in you. Be encouraged today. God is slow to anger. He is continually teaching you the righteousness of Jesus Christ until it takes hold of your hearts. Do not think, God must have lost patience with me long ago, especially when other people in your life have lost all patience with you.

• Finally, God’s slowness to anger encourages believers who stumble in the pathways of obedience, to learn how to walk confidently in deeper, richer obedience to Him. Practice in obedience increases your ability to live in obedience. As you gain confidence, the Spirit will reveal new areas of life that require greater submission to the authority of God.

 
Why? Because any area of your life, any part of your heart or mind that is not yielded fully to God is subject to the flesh-eating influence of the Devil. Obedience to God is not dull. It is not the death of all fun; obedience to God is beginning of fullness of life. Jesus declared: “I AM the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). The One Who made you, knows His purposes for you. There is no better way to live, no greater adventure and joy than living for Jesus!
 
Mighty God, patient Father, all Your works shall give thanks to You, O LORD
and all Your saints shall bless You! Amen.
Prayer is based on Psalm 145:10

https://youtu.be/6zTYTnyvk7k?si=nYp3MR3oFYYWCXdq No More Night

 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

January 4, 2026 -- Psalm 145:2,8 -- God is gracious and merciful. What does that mean?

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Every day I will bless you
and praise your name forever.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
Psalm 145:2,8 ESV
 
Suppose someone asks you, “Who is God?” Then after a pause adds, “What is He like?” The writer of this Psalm, King David, is expressing his loving devotion, as he stated at the start of this psalm “I will extol you, my God and King”. He gives a beautiful response to those questions. In fact, his answer echoes words spoken by prophets in various places in the Bible. So, as he reflects on what others have said, he realizes their experience and knowledge of God has become his own intimate experience.
 
The LORD Himself revealed Who He is to Moses. The people of Israel, having newly been freed from 400 years of slavery in Egypt, were at the foot of Mount Sinai. Moses was up the mountain for forty days, receiving the 10 commandments, and the people, getting tired and restless, assuming something dreadful had happened to Moses, demanded the priest Aaron, make them new gods. He made them a golden calf. Hideous stuff. When Moses went down the mountain and saw the wickedness of the people, he was furious. God the rescuer of His people, offered Moses to destroy the lot of them, and start over with Moses himself. Moses refused. He prayed to God for the deliverance of the people. The point is, God took His people out of Egypt, now He would continue the work of taking Egypt out of the sinful heart of His people. They’d need to learn Who He Is, how patient and prepared to bring them fully to salvation. That is true for believers in every generation. Once saved from the clutches of the devil the devilry that still lingers in us must be extinguished.
 
Moses asked to see the LORD. He hid Moses in the cleft of a rock, and as He passed by, declared to Moses Who He Is. Those are the words David repeated here in our Psalm today.

• He is gracious, meaning, He Who begins the work of salvation in His people will complete it. Salvation is His work in us, first, last, always.

• He is merciful, which means He does not treat us as our sins deserve. Instead, He Who knows the worst about us, by His Spirit will reveal these sins so that exposed they can be removed from us and He applies His healing work of sanctification, that is, making His people holy by removing their sins.

 
Ah, dear fellow believer, when you join with the believers of past ages and generations and reflect on Who God really is and how patient He has been with others, you get a glorious sense of His work in your life. He doesn’t throw you away at the first sign of trouble. He doesn’t junk you at the nearest trash heap because of your life is too hard for Him to fix. No way. He Who is at work in you will complete the transformation He began in you. Hold on to Him. Think about Who He Is. Consider the many ways He has already shown you kindness and grace. As you reflect on these things

• You will praise God with greater enthusiasm.

• You will be motivated by His Spirit to dig deeper into the word.

• You will more clearly see the mercy and the grace our Father has shown you through the work of Jesus, our Savior.

• You will be able to give a testimony to anyone who asks you, “what is God like?”

My God and King, I will lift my voice in rapturous praise to You.
I will bless You all the more as I think about Your grace and mercy which have been lavishly poured out on your people in the past, and which You continue to splash so generously over every part of my own life. Spirit of the Living God, as I am instructed by the word and by my own life’s experience as to Who God Is, let my words and actions, my thoughts and motives declare the grace and mercy of God which are so constantly and so richly shown to me in Jesus Christ. Let my life shine out the light of Jesus for all to see. Let those people around me whose lives are a shipwreck, may they be drawn to the light of Jesus which shines out from me and may they then join me in truly knowing You, and then also join the generations of people who declare Your grace and mercy. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/TxC16duiHvQ?si=ao71Hz3C8GSc_ljq O Lord, My Rock and My Redeemer
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

January 3, 2026 -- Psalm 145:2-3 -- The Name and the LORD

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Every day I will bless you,
and praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.
Psalm 145:2-3 ESV
 
The opening of verses of this Psalm is packed with information about and praise to the LORD our God. What does praise look like? Recently my wife and I were at the airport. There was a young man who had a tablet on his lap, and as I passed by, I could see he was looking at the roster of a world class soccer team. He was also on the phone, speaking animatedly to a friend, explaining why his soccer team would do well at its next match. He cited statistics and past victories and the strengths of individual players to make his (rather loud and enthused) point. That is what praise looks like. It is to be animated about, to be talking about and to spend time thinking about the object of one’s fascination and love. In this Psalm, David blesses and praises the Name forever.
 
In Hebrew culture one’s name and one’s reputation are bound up together. You can mention the name of a past great soccer player, like the Brazilian star Pele, and people who love the sport can name facts about him. That is an example of a name and reputation that are bound up together. The fact is, Pele is gone. New players with new feats of greatness will one day eclipse him and he will be forgotten. King David praises the Name of God forever and ever because our strong God lives forever and ever. New evidence of His power, His love, His mercy and His saving acts are revealed every day for those who have the eyes to see him, and for all those who have a soul that hungers to be associated with Him.
 
At the mention of the Name, leads David to declare “great is the LORD”. LORD, when it is spelled all in capitals that way, is a reference to God’s self-revealed name. At the burning bush (Exodus 3:14), the One and Only Strong God declared: “I AM, I WAS, I WILL BE”. Famous men and women rise and fall. They live and then they die. But the works of our glorious God stand forever because the LORD Who makes promises lives forever. He keeps all His promises. He continues to act in ways that are consistent with His majesty and His purposes.
 
His greatness is unsearchable—that means no one can ever say all there is to be said about the LORD. Though His perfections ever surround Him, human minds can’t comprehend all He Is, nor know all that He does. So, to the limited human mind, the LORD continues to add to His reputation every moment of every day. Reading the Bible shows the greatness of God. Seeing how He has acted in humanity history increases our ability to discern the greatness of God. Looking at the ways in which the LORD works in nations, and peoples, and tribes, and denominations shows the greatness of our God.
 
Even though our human comprehension is so limited, it is still true the more we know about God, the more we love Him. As we get older and have more life experience walking with Him and knowing Who He is and how patient He is, even more we realize His greatness is so expansive to us individually. So, even when we examine our own lives, we can’t even speak all His has done for us. Eternity will be wonderful because the Holy Spirit will permanently remove the blockages which cause our minds to be sin-restrained mind so after our death at our resurrection we will have the capacity for the knowledge that we were originally created to have. Even now, when a new Christians shares his love for God and shares his testimony declaring the blessedness of the salvation he has in Christ, that man increases to my mind and experience the greatness of our LORD.
 
What can we say to You, our God and King—except to join with King David and with the saints through-out the ages and generations who declare, Everyday I will bless you and praise Your Name forever and ever. Great are You, LORD, and greatly to be praised. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/uHz0w-HG4iU?si=sj7UvX5JR5Cq2P7p Great are You Lord
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

January 2, 2026 -- Psalm 145:1,4 -- My God and King

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

I will extol you, my God and King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
One generation shall commend your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
Psalm 145:1,4 ESV
 
Our focus this month will be on the Names and Titles of God. You see, our work as Christians is to commend the works of God (verse 4). That means we will both worship God and teach the knowledge of God to the next generation. The fullness of Who God is so fills our vision and stirs our imagination, we can’t help but teach others who He is. The more we know Him, the more we want to know Him and the more we want others to know Him as well.
 
It is common in our Bible-reading to by-pass that oft-used title God. In our passage today the title God emphasizes the fact that the Supreme Being is strong. God is mighty, what He says He will do, He will do and no one and no power can oppose Him.
 
He is King. It is King David who extols the all-powerful one as King. To extol God is to boast in Him and recommend Him to others as the powerful, compassionate monarch. As King our glorious God has the right to demand whole-hearted devotion to Him alone. We are not to toy with the enemy (that is to head toward sin allowing various temptations time to grow in our thoughts) or flirt with betraying Him (which is hanging out with those who hate Him).
 
Epic movies depict powerful kings as those whose power is broken by spies who have infiltrated the ranks of advisors. Or whose power splinters because commanders of their army revolt and lead powerful rebellions. Psalm 2 has already shown God, the Supreme Being of the Universe, as appointing His Son Jesus to be the King to Whom all thrones, authorities and powers will one day bend their knee. He laughs at the puny threats of subordinates because His power is absolute but this absolute power is coupled with mercy to all who repent of their sins.
 
Christians know Jesus as the True King Who is subduing every power and enemy while simultaneously praying to the Father for His people to be brought safe into the glory of the new heaven and new earth. Jesus will never be defeated. His reign, which believers now see by the eyes of faith will one day be fully exposed so that all will see Him. Believers willingly now, bow before Him and serve Him. When He returns, every eye will see Him and those who hated Him will on that day wail and cry out in anguish as in terror and awe they immediately fall to their knees before His splendour.
 
Jesus, my God and my King, blessed are You now and through-out eternity. By the presence of Your Spirit living within me, give me strength both to extol You and to recommend You to those around me. Let my words and my actions be so harmonious that non-believers will be confronted with Your greatness. Forgive me for the many times I just rush through Scripture reading and hastily utter half-hearted prayers. As a devoted soldier willingly marches to the orders of the general he loves, so let me as a soldier of the cross of Christ whole-heartedly serve You, Jesus, my God and my King. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/FgLt7jyBhc8?si=BbN08CnVxGrfImEe All Glory, Laud and Honor
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.